Maurice Williamson

Online saves time for 2013 Census

Statistics Minister Maurice Williamson says the level of online participation for the census has been strong.

As of today, more than 300,000 individual and dwelling forms had been submitted ahead of census day next Tuesday.

“While census is a snapshot of the country on March 5th, people can complete forms online ahead of time, particularly if they know what they are going to be doing on the day.

“The response has been great thus far and will soon surpass the 2006 overall total of 391,000 forms completed online.

“While Statistics New Zealand has a goal of 35 per cent (about two million forms) being completed via the internet this census, I’m hopeful it will be closer to 50 per cent. I encourage everyone to use this option, as it’s secure, quick and easy,” Mr Williamson says.

If an entire household completes its census forms online it’s unlikely a census collector will need to return to that home.

“Getting everybody in New Zealand to fill in their census forms is absolutely critical in making sure community groups, iwi, councils and businesses have access to the best possible information about the country.”

It also directly influences funding for areas such as health and transport.

Either online or on paper, all census information is kept confidential by Statistics NZ and can only be used for statistical purposes.